r/skiing • u/Electrical-Ask847 • 2d ago
how does health insurance work for US citizens skiing in canada
Do we have to buy private health insurance for the ski trip to canada?
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u/kwik_study Whistler 2d ago
Get travel insurance that includes sports. Any evacuation from the mountain to the ambulance will be a free service. Search and Rescue will also be free if you go backcountry. However once you hit the ambulance there can be charges and the hospital/medical won’t release you until you pay. You will need to submit to insurance for reimbursement.
The few hundred bucks for insurance could save you thousands.
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u/greennalgene 2d ago
Yes. You don’t pay into Canadian taxes so you don’t get health coverage. You can show up at a hospital and get treated and the bill will probably be like $1200 for a broken leg, not $12,000 like it would be in America.
Get travel insurance.
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u/adventure_pup Alta 2d ago
Have insurance in America and just broke my arm
$2500 and counting
And that’s good insurance too
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u/Electrical-Ask847 2d ago
i got some ikon supplmental insurance thing that apparently covers the gap. haven't had to use it, so not sure if its any good
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u/greennalgene 2d ago
I’m sorry man, healthcare is a human right. Good news is arms heal fast enough you’ll be able to make season opener.
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u/adventure_pup Alta 2d ago
North America sure
But I’m leaving for NZ in a week. Land 6 weeks after surgery, 7 weeks from my injury. My elbow ligaments still aren’t healed and def are gonna put a damper on this trip. Still gonna try to make the most of it.
This post did make me think I prob should get insurance incase I reinjure it while there tho.
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u/greennalgene 2d ago
NZ is a different animal (it’s my home country) - def get travel insurance but you’ll mostly be covered by NZs ACC (accident compensation corp).
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u/lurch1_ Bachelor 1d ago
Weird....I had complete Meniscus surgery in USA last year and paid $2200. And thats with a High Deductible plan. I still didn't meet my $3500 deductible for the year. I though I got off cheap.
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u/adventure_pup Alta 1d ago
Potentially where I got my surgery done then? It was park city, the official us ski & snowboard team’s surgery center, it’s right on the door as you walk in, I bet that comes with a hefty price tag to be able to say that. (Their Park City training center is literally next door.)
Still waiting on PCFD’s bill to come through. Potentially another few thousand
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u/lurch1_ Bachelor 1d ago
oh surgery....I was getting the idea it was a run of the mill broken arm. that cost is expected....not at all the shock you might have been projecting.
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u/adventure_pup Alta 1d ago edited 1d ago
Ah. Ya got a plate in there now. Also dislocated my radius. Def not run of the mill 😅 Ambulance cost off the mountain, before insurance, was over 2K but I am reallyyyyy hoping that will go down once they run it through insurance. No idea tho. Ambulances are odd. ER where they set everything back in place was maybe $100 after insurance. Surgery was 95% of that total. And then there’s PT. Because I had to prep for this trip with a broken arm and ligament damage. All things considering tho, everyone I know has said my recovery has been astounding so I’m thankful for that.
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u/lurch1_ Bachelor 1d ago
aggggghhhhh that stinks....what all did you do? injuries suck....I am still dealing with a shin and hamstring injury from March.....too many runs down thaynes in a month....made worse slipping off a ladder in April. just home it works its way out before next season.
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u/adventure_pup Alta 1d ago
Washed out mountain biking, trying to recover it my front wheel hit the start of the mats they have on seldom seen. Got whipped the opposite way. Landed on an outstretched arm in said mats. Broke my ulna. The force of which dislocated my radius. Monteggia fracture if you wanna look it up. Textbook case.
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u/Budget_Cicada_1842 2d ago
In Canada, it’s free! But they won’t fix your arm until next year🤪🤪🤪🤪
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u/Massive-Relative3936 2d ago
Not sure why this would be down voted. I know both health systems well. This comment is a slight exaggeration, but it's mostly accurate.
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u/urungus666 Magic Mountain 2d ago
Because it’s not free for Americans
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u/Budget_Cicada_1842 2d ago
Maybe if you have to pay for it you will actually get better service.
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u/AgreeableEvent4788 14h ago
A broken arm would obviously be treated immediately. People will post total nonsense and be like "reddit so mean for downvoting me 😭".
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u/Budget_Cicada_1842 2d ago
Only a slight exaggeration. I had to wait 8 months for a MRI for a knee injury and then another 4 months for surgery ….
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u/Massive-Relative3936 1d ago
You're not allowed to tell the truth on Reddit if it contradicts someone's feelings! I believe the rules say that entitles them to call you a name from behind their keyboard.
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u/Lonestar041 2d ago
You forgot a zero at the cost for the US.
I just pulled this from a price transparency file of a hospital in Colorado:
FRACTURE, SPRAIN, STRAIN AND DISLOCATION EXCEPT FEMUR, HIP, PELVIS AND THIGH WITH MCC 562 MS-DRG case rate: $61,229.20 $91,843.80
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u/NormanQuacks345 Afton Alps 2d ago
If you go abroad for any reason, skiing or not, buy travel insurance. Not only will they reimburse you for lost luggage/delayed flights, they’ll cover you if you get injured or sick and need to go to the hospital. Also, make sure to get one with medical evacuation coverage especially if you’re going to a country with a lower standard or low availability of healthcare.
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u/nothingbutfinedining 2d ago
I used the ER there a couple years ago. I paid about $1,110US up front, got reimbursed by my insurance within a couple weeks.
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u/ChickenMcChickenFace 2d ago
Why would our healthcare system cover you?
You need to have your own insurance.
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u/Electrical-Ask847 2d ago
Why would our healthcare system cover you?
no idea.
do hospitals there take private insurance ?
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u/ChickenMcChickenFace 2d ago
Yup they do. Just show them your insurance card and they’ll sort it out. Make sure your insurance has foreign/Canada coverage though.
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u/BigPickleKAM Revelstoke 2d ago
Yes.
You'll be surprised at how cheap things are for out of province people compared to America at least.
A couple months after your stay you'll receive a bill which you can forward to your insurer for payment or pay yourself.
mscpayment_schedule-_march_31_2024.pdf https://share.google/PTZRId4Y4LXJ6MkVW
That's all 500 plus pages of fee structure for non-residents for BC I assume that's where you'll be skiing?
Anyways it's not a life altering amount of money.
For example the ER doctor exam is like $300 Canadian then if you remain in the ER it drops to $100 a day for supervision etc.
X-rays start at $240 and the fee goes down for each additional shoot etc.
A broken leg with ambulance to hospital to cast and put the door probably looking at about $5k total.
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u/richey15 2d ago
With the way my insurance works in the us, i would be spending that same amount out of pocket anyways.
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u/Biuku 2d ago
It’s strange to me that anyone still chooses to live in that country.
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u/Electrical-Ask847 1d ago
its usually not a problem if you have employer sponsered insurance.
hospitals here are mostly for the old and chronic diseases. i think 90% + care goes to chronic disease care.
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u/richey15 1d ago
employer health care is such a scam. It makes people scared to look for other jobs. it forces people to be obedient because if they lose their job, healthcare is one of the largest expenses they will incur. This very thing makes it very hard for small business owners to open new business.
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u/richey15 1d ago
problem is the us doesn't have a whole lot of great deals to immigrate to other countries, plus there are still some economic benefits of the us if your able to achieve it. basically you need wealth to leave, and you need wealth to thrive.
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u/appendixgallop 2d ago
I have travel insurance that covers me for a year at a time. I ski almost exclusively in Canada.
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u/PorcupineGod 1d ago
Canadian doctors and hospitals don't usually have direct billing privileges with your insurer, so most will take credit card payments and you submit your receipts for reimbursement.
Probably have to pay a tarrif 😅
There's not like "in-network" "out of network" concerns like in the US
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u/Efficient_Discipline 1d ago
Travel insurance if you dont want to risk paying out of pocket.
But you should know that paying full cost out of pocket in canada is often less than the deductible in the US, even with “decent”insurance.
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u/facw00 Sunapee 2d ago edited 2d ago
You need to check with your insurance. Many do not cover anything outside the US, including Canada. Others will cover it, but you may need to pay up front and get reimbursed. Some will cover emergency care but not more routine visits. Generally emergency evacuation (from the mountain, or from Canada to the US) will not be covered.
But plans can be and are different so the first step is to ask your insurer what they actually cover.
If you do need to buy insurance, travel medical insurance will be far cheaper than buying generic travel insurance. Take note that some insurances will require extra coverage for dangerous activities, so make sure your plan covers skiing (including park and/or back country if you intend on doing those).